Cigarette pack closure



Nov. 26, 1940. l. FLORMAN 2,222,743

CIGARETTE PACK CLOSURE Filed April 17, 1959 Patented Nov. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a cigarette pack closure and in particular to the provision of a cigarette pack closure structure embodying the ultimate simplicity of construction and efiiciency.

It is an object of this invention to provide such a closure construction which is particularly adapted for ease of attachment to a conventional cigarette pack and which is provided with means preventing accidental detachment thereof at all times, irrespective of the number of cigarettes remaining in the pack.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a construction wherein a single member forms the top wall of the structure and integral spaced prongs or leg members extending `downwardly therefrom and adapted for insertion between the outer, paper, portion of the cigarette pack and the inner, metallic foil, portion of the cigarette pack, and wherein the prong members are provided with integral clamp means.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a construction wherein the top wall portion is provided with an aperture having associated therewith a slidable cover member resiliently biased at all times toward closed position with respect to the aperture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide in such a construction clamp members which are integral with the prongs or leg portions of the closure construction, and wherein the prong or leg members are of such length that the lower ends thereof will engage the bottom, or oor, of the outer wrapper of the cigarette pack spacedly to support and locate the roof plate of the clo- 35 sure construction in order that it shall not press unduly upon the upper end of the cigarette pack whereby to maintain the cigarettes free in the pack and thus facilitate removal of the cigarettes therefrom.

It is a further object of this invention to provide in a cigarette pack closure construction an aperture particularly adapted to facilitate withdrawal of cigarettes from the cigarette pack, and which aperture comprises a substantially rectangular portion adapted normally to be closed by a cover member and adapted, when open, to cooperate with an extension thereof, disposed in a plane substantially normal thereto, to permit free access to cigarette end portions by the thumb and finger of a user.

These and other objects and advantages will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the closure (Cl. 20G-41) construction as applied to a full cigarette pack;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; f

Fig. 3 is a section taken Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view, in perspective, of the component parts of the cigarette pack closure prior to assemblage thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and with reference particularly to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the main portion or body of the cigarette pack closure, comprising a suitably apertured top wall portion and integral prong or leg members 15 provided with clamping means, is stamped from a single flat blank of suitable metallic sheet material to form an integral structure. This main body member is generally designated l. The top Wall portion 2 of the main body member is pro- 20 vided with an intermediate slot 3 which is` adapted to receive and cooperate guidingly with the finger piece 5 of the slidable cover member 4 in such manner that the cover member 4 may slide, in predetermined alignment, with respect 25 to the top wall portion 2.

The finger piece is struck up from the sheet forming the cover member 4, as shown in Figs.

3 and 5, and is preferably ridged, as shown in the drawing. The cover member 4 is provided 30 at one side and adjacent the finger piece 5 with a short legmember 6. At the opposite side of the cover member 4 is a long leg member 1, the added length thereof providing ultimate guiding surface for cooperating with the adjacent 35 surface of the top wall portion 2. The outer end of this leg member 'l is adapted for engagement with end portion l 0 of a biasing spring 8, as hereinafter' described. The biasing spring is designated 8 and is formed of spring wire bent to 40 the shape shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and provided at one end with a projection 9 adapted to engage the inner surface of the top wall portion 2 at a corner thereof as shown in Fig. 2. At the opposite end, the biasing spring 8 is provided with 45 a circular loop IIJ which is adapted for abutting engagement with the above mentioned surface of the leg member l as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to provide a chamber for enclosing the biasing spring 8 and means for slidably sup- 50 porting the inner end of the cover member 4 including the leg members 6 and 'l thereof, a rectangular roof plate H is provided which is secured to the top wall portion 2 in spaced relationship by means of four tab members l2 55 on the line 3 3 of 'ly in an arcuate wall projecting from the side anges of the top wall portion 2, and which are bent over the undersurface of the roof plate Il as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. In order to prevent displacement of the roof plate Il longitudinally with respect to the top wall portion 2, a pair of tabs I4 are provided which are so disposed that when they are clamped over, they form stop means closely engaging the inner end of the roof plate Il, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and are disposed in the same plane as the roof plate Il. The roof plate ll is thus clampingly secured to the top wall portion of the main body member i with the biasing spring 8 and cover member 4 supported thereby between the roof plate Il and the inner surface of the top wall portion 2. At theend of the top wall portion 2, which is remote from the biasing spring i 8, an aperture I6 is provided whichis normally closed by the forward end portion of the cover member 4, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, but which may be opened by manually sliding the cover member 4 to the right, as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The aperture i6 terminates outward- Il whereby the end portion of the`endcigarettes in the pack may be readily engaged by the thumb of a, user when the cover member 4 is withdrawn from the aperture I6 as shown in Fig. 1. The aperture i6 thus has an upper, horizontal, yrectangular portion disposed in the plane of the cigarette hinge, and an outer, vertical, portion disposed in a plane normal to the plane of the rectangular portion. The prong or leg members are designated 2U, and are disposed in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the top wall portion 2. At their lower ends, the prong or leg members are provided with rounded surfaces 2i which are adapted for engagement with the lower inner surface, or floor, of the outer paper portion of the cigarette pack (Fig. l). In order to provide means for clamping the prongs or leg members 20 securely tothe end walls of the cigarette pack to `prevent collapse of the pack and to prevent accidental removal of the pack closure from the pack, the prongs or leg members 20 are each provided with clamp members 22 which are ,struck up from the leg members as shown in Fig. 5. The clamp members 22 are adapted to extend over the outside of the outer or paper member of the cigarette pack and to cooperate with the apertures 23 in the leg members 2l) from which they were struck, securely to clamp the adjacent portions of the paper member of the cigar-ette pack to the leg members 2E).

Because of the downward extension of the aperture I6, the clamp member 22 on the leg member 20 adjacent this aperture is spaced downwardly a greater distance than the other clamp member in order that the strength of the closure member may not be impaired by too close disposition of the aperture 23 adjacent the arcuate or curved wall l1 of the aperture IB.

It will thus be seen that the cigarette pack .closure of my invention is of extreme simplicity and cheapness, though possessed of advantages vunachievable in known constructions of comparable cost. The closure construction comprises only four parts, namely, the integral main body member which forms the top wall portion and leg members; the cover member 4' which is provided with integral, struck up finger piece 5; the

biasing spring 8 which normally urges the cover member 4 to closed position; andthe roof plate il which is clampingly secured to thetop wall portion 2 of the body member l, and "which cooperates therewith to house the biasing spring 8 and slidably support the cover member 4.

The downward extension of the aperture I6, which terminates in the curved wall l1, greatly facilitates removal of cigarettes from the attached cigarette pack, because the thumb of the user may readily engage the end of the desired cigarette, as shown in Fig. l. When the exposed end of the cigarette is engaged by the thumb and a finger of a user, pressure may be applied to the cigarette at the opposite end through another finger of the user. The operation of removing a cigarette from a cigarette pack equipped with the closure may thus be accomplished, readily and conveniently, by the use of only a single hand.

The provision of the clamping members 22, which are integral with the leg members 20, is a further important feature oi the invention because, due to their construction, the clamping members 22 may be readily slid over the outer paper walls of the cigarette pack clampingly to secure the paper walls between the respective lclamp member 22 and legs 20 in order completely to prevent accidental displacement of the cigarette pack with respect to the closure, while, at the same time, substantial rigidity is imparted to the cigarette pack because of its secure attachment to the cigarette pack closure.

It will, ofcourse, be understood that the above described structure is merely illustrative of the manner in which the principles of my invention may be utilized, and that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cigarette pack closure, a main body member forming a top wall portion and integral leg members extending downwardly from each end of said topwall portion, said top wall portion being provided at one end with a cigarette aperture and having an intermediate slot and lateral downwardly extending side iianges with integral tabs extending therefrom, a cover member slidable with respect to said top wall portion for opening and closingv said cigarette aperture, said cover member having a finger piece integral therewith and adapted for extension upwardly through said intermediate slot and for cooperation therewith to guide said cover member in its sliding movement, a biasing spring disposed between the inner end of said cover member and the adjacent end of said top wall portion, said biasing spring having a circular loopat one end engaging said sli-dable cover member and having a projection at the other end engaging the adjacent end of said top wall portion, and a roof plate disposed between the side anges of said top wall portion and within said slidable cover member and said biasing spring and secured to said top wall portion by clamping engagement of the tabs on the side flanges of said top wall portion with the inner surface thereof.

2. In a cigarette pack closure, a main body member forming a top wall portion and integral leg members extending downwardly from each end of said top wall portion, said top wall portion being provided at one end with a cigarette aperture and having an intermediate slot and lateral downwardly extending side anges with integral tabs extending therefrom, la cover member slidable with respect to said top wall portion for opening and closing said cigarette aperture, said cover member having a finger piece integral therewith and adapted for extension upwardly through said intermediate slot and for cooperation therewith to guide said cover member in its sliding movement, a biasing spring disposed between the inner end of said cover member and the adjacent end of said top wall portion, said biasing spring having a circular loop at one end engaging said slidable cover member and having a projection at the other end engaging the adjacent end of said top wall portion, a roof plate disposed between the side flanges of said top wall portion and Within said slidable cover member and said biasing spring and secured to said top wall portion by clamping engagement of the tabs on the side flanges of said top wall portion with the inner surface thereof, and means for preventing sldable movement of said roof plate with respect to said top wall portion comprising tap-like projections on the side anges of said top wall portion bent under said top wall portion and abuttingly engaging the end of said roof plate adjacent the 10 cigarette aperture in said top wall portion.

IRVING FLORMAN. 

